Break A Bat! where Baseball Meets Broadway

From March 2021.

Show me that smile again...As we wrap Women's History Month, it's our pleasure to welcome the great Joanna Kerns to The Batter's Box for Episode 77! Kerns' career in show business now spans 45 years both as an actress and director. She got her first big break when she starred as Maggie Seaver in the hit sitcom Growing Pains and has since gone on to serve as a pioneer for female directors with nearly 70 television directing credits to her name and counting. In 2020, she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for her work on Hulu’s Light As A Feather and was part of the team of directors nominated for a GLAAD Award on Dinsey's High School Musical: The Series. Kerns also currently sits on the Board of the Directors Guild of America and serves on its Ethics Committee. 

Kerns has kept quite busy in 2021, having recently lent her directing talents to High School Musical: The Series. This week, she joins host Al Malafronte to discuss her recent work on the show, as well as her role in the progress that female directors have enjoyed in the entertainment industry. We also had quite a bit of fun strolling down memory lane, as Kerns happily shares some amazing behind-the-scenes stories from her time on Growing Pains, her thoughts on why the show still stands strong today, and even touches on her work in the baseball community when she directed Pitch on FOX. As someone who actually launched their performing career via the stage, Kerns remains a tremendous theatre fan, and talks about some of her favorite nights on Broadway which include three trips to Hamilton!

As an advocate for empowering and uplifting the next generation of artists, Kerns is honored to have been recently invited to be an Advisory Board member for Notes for Notes, Inc., a national nonprofit providing youth free access to pro recording studio settings, producers, and creative outlets through the creation of recorded music. There's a reason why Kerns' work has endured for so many years, and that very much shines through in this wonderful conversation!

Connect with Joanna Kerns on Instagram: @the.real.joannakerns

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

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We've got our first former Yankee visiting The Batter's Box in 2022, as Nick Green joins us for Episode 122! Currently a TV analyst for Bally Sports South, Green joins us this week to talk baseball, music, pop culture, and his love of The Greatest Showman! He's also got some amazing never-been-told stories and Broadway parallels from his time on the grand stage while performing in the 2006 production of New York Yankees Baseball.

Connect with Nick Green on Instagram: @nickgreen20

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Giroux steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 121! Giroux plays the title role in Big Nate which just premiered on Paramount+. The show, based on the books of the same name, follows 11 year-old Nate Wright, a rebellious sixth-grader with a never-ending need to prove his awesomeness to the world. Whether he’s dealing with disasters at home or detention at school, Nate is no stranger to a challenge. Luckily, he’s able to express himself through the cartoons he creates. This week he joins us to talk all about his voiceover work in the series, his Arizona sports fandom, and viral TikTok videos!

Connect with Ben Giroux on Instagram: @bengiroux

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

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Jerry Blevins is talking baseball and Broadway in The Batter's Box in Episode 120! One of the best lefty relievers of the 2010s, Blevins made his mark on Broadway not only on the pitcher's mound for the New York Mets but as an avid fan of theatre who embraced the performing arts mecca that is New York City. This week he joins host Al Malafronte to talk all about his show-stopping moments on the bump, his current role with SNY, and some of his favorite nights on The Great White Way! He even touches on the theatre community pumping him up before a big game in this chat that can truly be enjoyed by fans of sports and theatre alike.

Connect with Jerry Blevins on Instagram: @jblev13

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Episode Art Photo: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

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Adam Kennedy steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 119! This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Anaheim Angels' 2002 World Series championship and the team's 2nd baseman joins us for a chat that looks back on that iconic run and so much more! Whether it's the battles on Broadway against the Yankees in the ALDS, his 3-Home Run game in the ALCS, or the electrifying World Series against Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants, the championship squad's team leader in Batting Average has some great recollections of that very special chapter in baseball history.

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Wilson brings his Broadway fandom to The Batter's Box! You read that right! Fully equipped with his binder full of Playbills, the former All-Star shortstop joins host Al Malafronte to talk all about his longtime affinity for theatre in a true Baseball meets Broadway celebration. Ironically, this fandom began during his playing days during road trips to Yankee Stadium in the mid-2000s and has only continued to blossom. Wilson has Broadway dream roles, favorite actors and actresses, and some awesome insight on the recent string of successful film adaptations of musicals. From the stage to the stadium, we truly covered all bases in one of our most on-brand chats to date.

Connect with Jack Wilson on Instagram: @jack.wilson_2

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GG Townson steps into The Batter's Box for Episode 117! Known for her portrayal of iconic hip-hop artist “Salt '' in the hit biopic Salt-N-Pepa, Townson can now be seen in BET+’s Sacrifice, based on the network’s original movie of the same name. The story follows a high-powered entertainment attorney, Daniella Hernandez (Paula Patton), as she navigates the complicated lives of her clients, while uncovering the truth behind her family’s secretive past and the death of her parents. Townson plays Jameson, a megastar client of the firm. After Daniella hears that Jameson is looking for new representation, she courts her into what looks like a perfect pairing. But there is more than meets the eye with this star, and her secrets intertwine Daniella in a dangerous plot. This week, Townson talks all about her recent work, her ability to bring characters to life, and some chatter about her LA sports fandom!

Connect with GG Townson on Instagram: @ggtownson

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our first at-bat of the 2022 season, Ginger Zee steps into The Batter's Box! As the Chief Meteorologist for ABC News, Zee has forecasted and reported the nation's weather on Good Morning America and World News Tonight for nearly a decade. In doing so, she has endeared herself to audiences worldwide as a light that goes far beyond what we see on-screen, and one that we need now more than ever - especially when it comes to the subject matters she's tackling in her all-new book A Little Closer to Home: How I Found the Calm After the Storm. The book is published by the fine folks at Disney Books and is now available for purchase here.

When she opened her life to readers in her first book Natural Disaster, the response was enormous. She put a very relatable if not surprising face on depression and has helped lessen the stigma surrounding mental health issues. But as Zee says, Natural Disaster was "Ginger Lite" and only scratched the surface. In this moving follow-up, she shares her truest self. She spent most of her life shielding her vulnerabilities from the world all while being a professional people pleaser. Her stormy childhood, her ongoing struggles with crippling depression, her suicide attempts, and many other life experiences will resonate with readers who are likely to see themselves along the way. 

This week, she joins host Al Malafronte to talk all about the new book, and some of the experiences that drove her to open up in such a personal way, as she continues to heal from her trauma on a daily basis. This conversation is above and beyond inspiring, and it was so fascinating to hear her speak with such honesty. It was also particularly interesting to hear how her athletic background and mindset play into her triumphs in healing. In addition to the serious subject matters discussed in our chat, it wouldn't be a day in The Batter's Box without a special round of Fastball Derby, where Zee told some phenomenal stories about her baseball and theatre fandom, and even hinted at some eventual Broadway aspirations!

Connect with Ginger Zee on Instagram: @ginger_zee

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's our 2021 finale with former MLB All-Star, Scooter Gennett! Join us for an incredibly honest chat that highlights anything from Gennett's love of sports and the arts to his iconic "baseball theatre" moment - when he tied the Major League record for home runs in a single performance (4) in 2017. Gennett also addresses the recent national headlines he made via his choice words about Carlos Correa's free agency and the Houston Astros cheating scandal.

Connect with Scooter Gennett on Instagram: @sgennett2

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's a "Holiday Block Party" on this show without some Muppet mayhem? Joe Hennes is the Co-Owner and Editor-in-Chief of ToughPigs.com, the premier online destination for "Muppet fans who grew up." In many ways, he's the baseball equivalent of Michael Kay - serving as the voice of the fan through his knowledge, passion, comedic wit, and objectivity that comes through in all of his writing. This week, he joins the party with host Al Malafronte to discuss The Muppets' influence on the world of Major League Baseball mascots, some of his accomplishments at the helm of ToughPigs (which just celebrated its 20th anniversary!), and all things Muppet holiday specials!

You can connect with ToughPigs on their website and you can support them on their Patreon, as well!

Connect with Break a Bat! on Instagram: @break_a_bat_podcast

Hosted by Al Malafronte

Produced by the Broadway Podcast Network 

Edited by Matthew Hendershot

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices